VOLUME XXXI OCTOBER 2010 NUMBER 4

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1 The Quarterly Bulletin of the Ripley County, Indiana, Historical Society, Inc. Library 125 Washington Street Museum Corner of Main and Water Streets Versailles, Indiana VOLUME XXXI OCTOBER 2010 NUMBER 4 The Ripley Co. Historical Society will meet Sunday Oct 03, at 2:00 at the Archive Library on the west side of Versailles Courthouse Square. The program for our next meeting is by John Wolford concerning Leah Jackson. Refreshments will be provided by Otter Creek Twp., Mike Stratton in charge. Welcome Tom Krum as volunteer at RCHSL. He loves history and is a great asset. Research $5.00 for non-members, and $.50 per page copied. The WWII War Veterans book, titled LEST WE FORGET, is still available. It can be obtained for $35 at (1) Batesville Historical Society which is located on George Street next to the Post Office (during its open hours), (2) the Osgood Museum on South Buckeye Street (on Friday or Saturday afternoons) or in Versailles at the Ripley County Historical Society Library on the west side of the Courthouse Square (open every weekday afternoon from 1 to 4). Also, LEST WE FORGET can be ordered for shipment by mail for $40. Checks should be made payable to Ripley County Historical Society. We give our heartfelt thanks to Joan and Norris Krall. Members that are willing to receive the newsletter via instead of postal mailing can do so by ing RCHS with your request along with your address. The for sending your request is printed above. RCHS needs to replace the windows in the library. If you wish to donate $ for a window in your name, a memorial, or in honor of a loved one, send your donation and request to RCHS on the address below. A plaque will be made with the honored names inscribed. The windows will arrive August 29 th. This will save in the utilities cost. There is still time for donations. The RCHS Archives Library is open for public research weekdays 1 4 pm, except holidays, Pumpkin Show week (Sept.), also the week before and between Christmas and New Years. The Library will also be closed during inclement weather. The Museum summer hours are Sundays 2 4 pm, June 6 through August and on Saturday September 25 th during the Pumpkin Show. Questions call Mail your renewal for 2010 to RCHS at P.O. Box 525, Versailles, IN Dues: Annual $10; Life $100. THE FOLLOWING BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE: Ripley County History, Volume 1 $65 Versailles, IN School Life $ 20 Brown Twp.Tales by Alan Smith 20 Osgood, IN Sesquicentennial Tales of Versailles by Alan Smith 16 Come Visit by Jean McClellan 25 Vintage Postcards by Alan Smith 20 Jackson Township Cemetery Index 13 Brown Township Cemetery Index 10 Johnson Township Cemetery Index 10 Milan, Indiana, A Storied Past 16 Lest We Forget WWII 35 Broken Wings, By Robert Kelly 20 Shipping Charges added for all books 5 1

2 RIPLEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MINUTES July 11, 2010 The summer quarterly business meeting of the Society was called to order by President Cheryl Welch at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 11, Cheryl led all in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. At President Welch s request, all in attendance identified themselves by name and township of residence. Secretary Frank Keenan read the minutes of the spring quarterly meeting of April 11, 2010, which minutes were approved as read. Treasurer Owen Menchhofer gave his report of the Society s current finances, which report was approved as read. President Welch reported that sales of Lest We Forget were still going well. Cheryl also reminded attendees of the adopt-a-window for replacement windows at the Archives building, noting that while donations were being received; many more windows need adoption. The membership was reminded that replacement windows will retain virtually the same appearance as the present windows, and that donors will be recognized by way of a plaque posted in the Archives building. President Welch also put out a call for additional help at the Archives building to cover the 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., M-F schedule. Bill Gloyd reminded attendees that harness racing has been revived at the County Fairgrounds and to check the paper for the scheduling. Cheryl noted that Otter Creek Township would be responsible for refreshments at the fall meeting, October 3, Following the meeting the program was delivered by Bob Kelly concerning his book about his father who was a former President of RCHS. Bob s book is entitled Broken Wings, and focuses on his father s role as crew chief for the 1945 disabling of some 3200 American made aircraft utilized in the WWII European theatre and left behind in Britain at war s end. Bob s father authorized a budget for the mission of rendering those aircraft that was unable to function any more up to eighty million dollars. Bob related how much research went into the writing of the book, which discusses such well known aircraft as the B-17, the B-24, and the B- 26, as well as the P-38 and the P-51 Mustang, among many others. The book also discusses his Dad s account of what it was like to be a Yank in England during and right after WWII, based on letters home from his Dad and his Uncle Lowell, his Dad s brother, and their post-war reminiscences. One of the most interesting matters discussed by Bob Kelly was his account of the very high value of surviving operational WWII aircraft, a value attributable to their use as props in Hollywood and other films. Indeed, the Memphis Bell is owned by Bob s sister-inlaw, Miss Indiana of 1954, Cecily (Dennis) De Shay and her husband Boots De Shay. Following Bob Kelly s presentation he was given a sounding round of applause for sharing with us such interesting footnotes to the history of WWII. Respectively Submitted by: Frank Keenan, Secretary 2

3 LEAH JACKSON John Wolford will be giving the program for the quarterly meeting on October 03, He is going to tell us about Leah Jackson s many accomplishments in her life and at the age of 23 years old, published one of only five centennial publications for the state s 100th birthday, called The Play-Party in Indiana, which was based almost entirely on Ripley County memories and fieldwork. Her book was the runaway best seller of the centennial publications. It sold out right away, and was in such demand through the decades that it was reprinted four times, twice revised, expanded form by Indiana professors. It is extremely readable, but it also became an academic classic in its field, achieving international acclaim. Its last publication was in 1976, a full 69 years after she published it. At the age of 19 years, Leah became principal of Versailles High School; Leah also taught at Holton in the elementary grades. Leah received her BA from Franklin College, then went on to receive her MA in English from the University of Chicago. She died at the age of 25, six days after giving birth to her only child. 3

4 TALES OF RIPLEY COUNTY CIVIL WAR VETERANS OF THE 37 th REGIMENT Taken from The Versailles Republican Area Civil War Veterans by Phillip Jackson Jr. The soldiers, Isaac H. Andrews, Jesse L. Holman, and Robert P. Wilson, served in the 37 th Indiana Infantry Regiment. The 37 th Regiment was formed in Lawrenceburg, Indiana on September 18, Ripley County soldiers served in Companies A, C, and D. About 250 men from Ripley County served in the 37 th Regiment. Isaac H. Andrews, resided near Dabney, known as Poston at that time, He served in Company D as Corporal in Jesse L. Homan and his wife, Margaret, were parents of ten children and resided near Holton on a farm. Jesse was commissioned into Company D as First Lieutenant on September 10, Robert P. Wilson was born near Old Milan in a one room log cabin. In his lifetime, his occupations were: farmer, telegrapher, teacher, preacher, dentist, and soldier. Robert was commissioned First Corporal. Commanding officer was Captain Hezekiah Shook. The 37 th Regiment men covered a lot of ground on foot. They guarded the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad; they were in the battle of Stones River on December 31, 1862 and January 2, There were heavy losses in those battles. Robert Wilson wrote that It was their first large battle. In the first of the two battles, Robert wrote that the 37 th left a cedar thicket and charged across an open field in which half of our regiment were either killed or wounded. Twenty members of Company D were wounded. Robert was wounded in his left leg below the knee in that open field. Lieutenant Jesse L. Holman and four enlisted men of our company were killed. Jesse L. Holman s remains were brought back to Osgood by train and then transported to the Holman farm by wagon where he was buried. Captain Shook wrote a letter to Jesse B. Holman explaining, In the first day s fight, fell whilst at his post and expired in a short time. A kind man, a good and brave officer, his loss is deeply regretted by the officers and men of the regiment. He adds one more to the list of gallant officers of Old Ripley who have fallen upon the bloody fields of battle defending the stars and stripes of their country, the interest and welfare of future generations. Stones River was a victory for the Union because Confederate General Bragg retreated and the Union Army of the Cumberland could then establish Murfreesboro, Tennessee, as a major supply base and camp. The 37 th served in the Chattanooga Campaign during the summer of The following winter, the men of Companies A, C, and D reenlisted as veterans and returned home on furlough. They returned to the regiment in Georgia and were reorganized into Companies A and B Detachment. They marched with Sherman in the Atlanta Campaign in 1864 in the March to the Sea and into North and South Carolina and took part in other battles including Kenesaw Mountain. In the March to the Sea, Lieutenant George Meyer of Lawrenceburg, was told to send twenty men on a foraging expedition. Sergeant Andrews was one of the foraging expedition along with a soldier named Ben Clark from Jackson County. On November 25, 1864, the party was near Louisville, Georgia at a place called Buffalo Swamp. Isaac loaned Ben his pocket knife to cut his food. They were surprised by Confederate Calvary. Lt. Meyer was captured. Ben Clark escaped by hiding in the swamp. Isaac Andrews, John Cooney, also from Poston, and William Hamilton, from Otter Village were captured. They were taken into the woods and shot. Cooney and Hamilton both died. Isaac Andrews was shot from the left rear. The bullet broke 4

5 his left jaw and cheek bone and came out under his left eye. He didn t fall. He was then shot a second time behind the left ear, the bullet came out breaking his right cheek bone. Isaac fell to the ground. The enemy searched pockets of the three men, taking $102. from Isaac s pocket. They thought he was dead. He could hear them talking. He was shot a third time, the bullet entering in from the right ear and lodged behind his eyes and knocked him unconscious. When Isaac Andrews became conscious, he was so weak that he couldn t move at first. He finally was able to crawl to one of the other men and saw that he was dead. He sat on the ground there until a black man came up to him and offered help. The black man picked him up and carried him to a house where two black women dressed his wounds. That evening soldiers from the Indiana 22 nd Infantry found him and put him on the ambulance train following the marching men to Savannah. On January 6, 1865, Andrews was able to travel and came home on furlough for thirty days. He was given ten more days because he still wasn t healed enough to join his regiment. He was then sent to New York City for a week, and transferred to South Carolina. He still wasn t recovered enough to join his company and ended up in a hospital in New York, where he almost died. He was moved to Madison, and discharged on June 14, Forty years later, Isaac Andrews and Ben Clark reunited at a reunion of the 37 th Regiment held in Osgood, Indiana. Ben recognized Isaac and went up to him to shake his hand. Isaac told him that he had been looking for him for forty years and he wanted his pocket knife back. Ben explained that he lost the knife when he ran into the swamp to escape capture. Isaac Andrews was the father of Bert Andrews, one of the five men lynched by the mob in 1897, in Versailles, Indiana. 5

6 County, Indiana, Historical Ripley Society OFFICERS and DIRECTORS Adams Twp. Mrs. Betty Roepke; 9644 E Co Rd 1300 N, Sunman, IN Vice President Brown Twp. - Mr. Frank Keenan, 3241 E State Rd 62, Cross Plains, IN Secretary Center Twp. - Mr. Charles Wm. Gloyd, P.O. Box 195, Osgood, IN Delaware Twp. - Mrs. Lois Workman; 4823 N Co Rd 350 E, Osgood, IN Franklin Twp. - Mrs. Esther Edmondson 7653 E Co Rd 800 N, Sunman, IN Jackson Twp. - Mr. Delbert Abplanalp; 4543 W Co Rd 800 N, Osgood, IN Johnson Twp. - Mr. Owen Menchhofer, 1970 N Co Rd 300 W, Holton, IN Treasurer Laughery Twp. - Mrs. Helen Decker; 314 Crestview Lane, Batesville, IN Otter Creek Twp. Mr. Michael Stratton, 4300 W. U.S. 50, Holton, IN Shelby Twp- Mrs. Cheryl Welch; 6453 S Co Rd 225 W, Versailles, IN President Washington Twp. - Mr. Henry Walker; 1721 N Co Rd 575 E, Milan, IN Director at Large - Mrs. Sandra Meisberger, 4662 W. Co. Rd. 450 S. Versailles, IN Lori Hoffman; 5565 E. Lower Dry Fork Rd. Madison, IN Web Master Sandra Meisberger & Cheryl Welch Newsletter Committee 6